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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Upsets No. 15 Arkansas Behind Monster Performance From Otega Oweh

Published

5 months ago

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Chet White | UK Athletics

A sea of white wrapped all around Bud Walton Arena, swarmed the Wildcats in enemy territory and had every member of Big Blue Nation anxious for another ranked road game.

However, this time, Kentucky flipped the script.

On Saturday, Jan. 31, the Kentucky Wildcats (15-7, 6-3 SEC) upset the Arkansas Razorbacks (16-6, 6-3 SEC) by a score of 85-77, earning a much needed third ranked win on the season.

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Coming into this game, Kentucky was looking to move on quickly from its 25-point loss to No. 18 Vanderbilt and get back on the right track, winning five in a row before the mishap in Nashville. Shining brightest in SEC play had been senior guard Otega Oweh, who tallied 20 points or more in six of Kentucky’s eight conference games.

Oweh had also solidified himself as a defensive presence, poking out over two steals a game in conference play so far.

The Razorbacks, fresh off of a close one in Oklahoma, were looking to keep a three-game streak alive and maintain their conference standing. Above all names in this matchup, Darius Acuff Jr. had cemented himself as one of the best guards in the nation, averaging 20.2 points per game and 6.4 assists per game.

In Arkansas’ previous two matchups, Acuff had a 31-point game against LSU and a 21-point and 10-assist double-double against Oklahoma, not turning the ball over once.

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That wouldn’t be the case in his game against the Wildcats however, as Oweh outplayed him in the first half and led Kentucky to one of its best 20-minute segments of the season.

In the first 10 minutes of the game, Kentucky would jump out to a 13-point lead as a result of an 11-13 shooting start. Oweh, showing off his cool and collected game, had nine early points on perfect shooting splits.

Quickly, however, Arkansas worked its way back with fans cheering them on, cutting the lead to five with several minutes to go. Uncharacteristically, the Wildcats didn’t back down and continued to fight down low and create opportunities.

A fight, instigated by Oweh and Trevon Brazile broke out, causing both Mark Pope and John Calipari to run on the court and deescalate the situation.

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At the half, Kentucky held a 42-35 lead, with Oweh, Denzel Aberdeen and Collin Chandler once again dropping buckets. The trio combined for 26 in the first half.

The second half started out super slow, with Arkansas fans complaining in awe of some officiating mishaps. That’s their opinion though.

Quickly, the offensive buckets became inevitable, with both teams trading shots back and forth. At the first media timeout of the second half, Kentucky had made its last three field goals and Arkansas had made its last five.

After questionable technicals from Doug Shows, Arkansas went on quick 6-0 run, securing the first lead of the entire game.

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As one would assume, this became a battle of who wanted the game more. No matter what the stupid zebras called or how loud it got, the Wildcats continued to match everything Arkansas threw at them.

Yet, Kentucky understood that you aren’t allowed to hit fans in the face with a basketball and received five free throws with the assist of another team foul, and made all of them.

As time winded down and Pope and his squad entered crunch time, the Wildcats would continue to will themselves to the line, with Oweh nailing two free throws at the 2:18 mark and putting his team up nine.

Calipari’s Razorbacks would attempt some magic in the end, but a pretty turn-around fadeaway by Chandler would remain as the dagger, taking place right outside of the one minute warning.

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Chandler ended the game with 13 points, but was overshadowed by Oweh, who ended his night with 24 points and eight rebounds.

Up next, Kentucky will host Oklahoma (11-11, 1-8 SEC) on Wednesday, Feb. 4 in search of another conference surge. Tip is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET and will air live on ESPN2.

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Men's Basketball

College Basketball Rankings: Where Kentucky Stands in Updated “way-too-early” Polls

Published

2 weeks ago

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July 3, 2026

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Where Kentucky basketball stands in ESPN and CBS Sports updated way-too-early rankings after more coaching changes, player additions, and injuries.
UK Athletics

Last offseason, Kentucky was considered a top-10 team and a true title contender, but ended the season as one of the most disappointing teams in the country, winning just one game in the NCAA Tournament.

This offseason, Kentucky is barely cracking the top 15 in most preseason rankings and will look to climb the rankings throughout the season rather than fall.

Still 120+ days out from the start of the regular season, ESPN and CBS Sports have updated their “way-too-early” rankings following Dusty May’s jump from Michigan to the NBA, more player additions for teams, and some early-season-ending injuries.

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The rankings remain fairly static, however, with the Wildcats holding steady in ESPN’s rankings while moving ahead of St. John’s in CBS Sports’ rankings following Donnie Freeman’s Achilles injury.

ESPN

17. Kentucky Wildcats

Previous ranking: 17 (no change)

Impact newcomer: Milan Momcilovic

Momcilovic was the best transfer in the portal, after a season in which he established himself as the best shooter in college basketball. The 6-8 forward withdrew from the NBA draft on the night of the deadline, committing to coach Mark Pope’s team a few days later after also being pursued by Louisville and Arizona. He’s immediately an All-America contender and the most dangerous player on the Wildcats’ roster, after averaging 16.9 points and shooting 48.7% from 3 last season.

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Projected starting lineup

Zoom Diallo (15.7 PPG at Washington)
Alex Wilkins (17.8 PPG at Furman)
Milan Momcilovic (16.9 PPG at Iowa State)
Ousmane N’Diaye (9.8 PPG for Cremona in Serie A)
Malachi Moreno (7.8 PPG)

CBS Sports

16. Kentucky Wildcats

Previous ranking: 17 (⬆️1)

This ranking is based on the Wildcats returning one of the top six scorers — specifically Malachi Moreno — from a team that finished 22-14 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic, Washington transfers Zoom Diallo and Franck Kepnang, Washington State transfer Jerone Morton, James Madison transfer Justin McBride, Providence transfer Alex Wilkins, four-star prospect Mason Williams and international prospect Ousmane N’Diaye.

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Men's Basketball

Mark Pope Discusses Final Assistant Coach Position, “I’m not in desperate need of adding more pieces”

Published

2 weeks ago

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July 3, 2026

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Mark Pope isn't rushing to fill Kentucky's final assistant coach opening, saying pending NCAA rules on international players could shift his plans.
UK Athletics

Kentucky basketball has operated this offseason without a full staff. Assistant coaches Alvin Brooks III and Jason Hart left the program back in March, and Mark Pope has only filled one of the two spots since, hiring former NBA All-Star Mo Williams from Jackson State.

Despite that, Kentucky managed to bring in the 3rd ranked transfer class in the country, highlighted by Milan Momcilovic, and have secured a commitment from 2027 five-star Ryan Hampton.

“I like my organization a lot right now. I think this group is functioning at a high level,” Pope said about his staff in an interview with BBN Tonight. “I like the way our staff feels. I like the way we feel in the staff meeting every day. I like the way we’re executing on the road. I like the way we feel on the court right now.”

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With an assistant coach position sitting vacant, Pope is satisfied with how his staff is performing and says there is no urgency in filling the role. Instead, he’s waiting to see how NCAA guidelines and rules unfold in the coming weeks.

“I’m not in desperate need of adding more pieces, although I’m open to the idea,” he said.

“There are going to be a whole host of legal cases from our league testing the CSC and the NCAA on their current guidelines and rules on international players. And depending on what the outcome of those are, it could very much shift the direction we go with hiring.”

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Men's Basketball

Mark Pope Says Kentucky’s Final Roster Spot Is About Fit, “There’s got to be a very uniquely positioned piece”

Published

2 weeks ago

on

July 3, 2026

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Mark Pope opens up on Kentucky Basketball's final roster spot, emphasizing fit over hype as the Nikola Kusturica recruitment nears a decision.
UK Athletics

Kentucky basketball is wrapping up its third week of practice in an eight-week summer training block. While the players are getting acclimated to Mark Pope’s system and to each other, there is still one roster spot to be filled.

“I am enjoying coaching these guys, but we’re also still really active in recruiting,” Pope said in an interview with BBN Tonight.

One name that Wildcat fans have been keeping a close eye on in recent weeks is Nikola Kusturica, a 17-year-old prospect from Serbia, who is currently playing for FC Barcelona and is a projected lottery pick in the 2028 NBA Draft. His recruitment is down to Kentucky and UCLA, with the latter having the momentum and a decision expected soon.

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Whoever the final roster piece will be, Pope emphasizes that they must fit with the other 14 players on the roster.

“Where we are with our roster, there’s got to be a very uniquely positioned piece that fits,” he said.

“There are several different archetypes of piece that would fit this roster really well, but there’s also a lot of guys who are popping up as available or have been available for a little while who don’t turn out to be the fit that’s going to work for this team.”

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